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Last year more than a million people took part in the RSPB’s Big Garden Bird Watch (January 28th-30th), helping the charity keep an eye on the UK’s winged population, but also having a lot of fun getting to know the wildlife outside their window. Why not slow down and take the time to appreciate the creatures in your garden this month and take part in the 2022 initiative?
Create an inviting space
Think you could do more to attract feathered friends to your garden or balcony? Don’t worry, you’ve still got time to add a few simple touches that could have birds flocking, just in time to give you a more interesting view during the Big Birdwatch. The RSPB offers top tips to entice more birds to your outdoor space, including where to locate a bird feeder (in a sheltered, quiet spot, where birds won’t be disturbed and are away from harsh winds), what type of food different species prefer (seed, suet and peanuts for great tits and blue tits, mealworms for blackbirds, sunflower seeds for chaffinches), and how to maintain it easily.
Keep your eyes peeled
The clue is in the name, so make sure you have a comfy spot set up to watch out for wildlife over the course of an hour during the Big Birdwatch weekend. Invest in a set of binoculars if you want to spot species from a distance (and look like an expert twitcher, of course). Make sure you have a good view of your feeder from the window, if watching from inside, or on a snuggly garden furniture set, if you are participating outdoors.
Ideally, you’ll stay put for the duration, so as not to scare off any welcome visitors, so comfort is the name of the game. Take your pick from LifestyleGarden®’s Bahamas collection or Samoa range, with luxurious cushions for maximum relaxation and lounging potential; enabling you to stay in position during the wildlife count. In fact, they’re so comfy, you won’t want to move even when the hour is up, so take out some snuggly blankets and a cuppa, so you can indulge in some quality time immersing yourself in nature. The Samoa range even features a day bed and reclining chair for the ultimate lazy afternoon.
Create an inviting space
Worried you won’t be able to tell your sparrows from your dunnocks or a greenfinch from a common chaffinch? Fear not, because the charity runs a host of workshops that will help you brush up on your bird identification skills and help you recognise the common UK species you might come across in your garden or local area. Alternatively, there is a handy identifier on the website.
Take a wander
It may be called the Big Garden Birdwatch but you can actually take part anywhere, so if you fancy a walk out to your local park or nature reserve for a change of scenery or the chance to spot a wider variety of species, then get out and about. You can also take part in the initiative on all three days, if you want, just by visiting and counting birds in different locations each time.